As computer-based systems, appliances, automated teller machines (ATM), point-of-sale terminals and the like become more prevalent, the ease of use of the human-machine interface is becoming more and more important. Such interfaces should operate intuitively and with little or no training so that they may be employed by virtually anyone. Many conventional user interface devices are available on the market and include the keyboard, the mouse, the joystick, the touch screen, and the touchpad. One of the most intuitive and interactive interface devices known is the touch panel, which is also known as a touch screen, a touch pad, a touch screen display, and so forth. A touch panel includes a touch-sensitive input panel and a display device, usually in a sandwich structure and provides a user with a machine interface through touching a panel sensitive to the user's touch and displaying content that the user “touches.”
A touch panel can be a small planar rectangular pad, which can be installed in or near a computer, an automobile, ATM machines, and the like. A conventional touch-sensitive component of a touch panel employs various types of touch sensing technology such as capacitive sensing, pressure sensing and the like as known in the art to detect locations being pressed on the panel. For example, a user contacts the touch-sensitive panel commonly with a fingertip to emulate a button press and/or moves his or her finger on the panel according to the graphics displayed behind the panel on the display device.
A problem associated with conventional touch panels is that they lack the capability of providing interactive tactile acknowledgements to indicate whether input has been accepted or rejected.
Accordingly, there is a need for a touch panel to provide an interactive tactile feedback to indicate whether a user's selection has been accepted or rejected and/or other appropriate or desirable effects.